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Loading... The Sunday Lunch Clubby Juliet Ashton
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.  mimbza | Apr 23, 2024 |    ) CarolHicksCase | Mar 12, 2023 |  ) CharlotteBurt | Feb 1, 2021 | Every few Sundays, Anna and her extended family and friends get together for lunch. They talk, they laugh, they bicker, they eat too much. Sometimes the important stuff is left unsaid, other times it’s said in the wrong way. Sitting between her ex-husband and her new lover, Anna is coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy at the age of forty. Also at the table are her ageing grandmother, her promiscuous sister, her flamboyantly gay brother and a memory too terrible to contemplate. Until, that is, a letter arrives from the person Anna scarred all those years ago. Can Anna reconcile her painful past with her uncertain future? ************************************************************************************* My Thoughts: I am in two minds about this book. First of all, I listened to it as an audiobook and the narration by Karen Cass was excellent. Secondly, I really liked the format of the book – each chapter revolves around a different meeting of the Sunday Lunch Club – the Piper family take it in turns to host – and the menu for each gathering is at the top of the chapter. From the events of the each ‘club’ meeting, it becomes clear what has happened between chapters. However, I was a bit put off by the obvious attempt to shoehorn as many social issues into the story as possible. It was so obviously politically correct that it got a bit tiresome (to clarify, I have no issue with political correctness but there were so many instances crammed in here that it felt very deliberately done). The ending was predictable and I was waiting for a particular twist that never came. I wouldn’t say it was awful but just a bit too treacly for me. Nonetheless it helped pass time while I was out on some long runs. (  ) Ruth72 | Jun 18, 2019 | Recommended. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster UK Fiction and Netgalley ( ) annarellix | Jan 31, 2018 | no reviews | add a review
'A warming testament to the elasticity and enduring love of true family bonds. I adored this book' Penny Parkes 'Fresh, funny and utterly fabulous, it's the perfect holiday read' Heat 'Feel-good' Bella 'A clever concept ... with surprises and some shocks in store for both the reader and the characters ... An endearing, funny and poignant read' Express The first rule of Sunday Lunch Club is ... don't make any afternoon plans. Every few Sundays, Anna and her extended family and friends get together for lunch. They talk, they laugh, they bicker, they eat too much. Sometimes the important stuff is left unsaid, other times it's said in the wrong way. Sitting between her ex-husband and her new lover, Anna is coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy at the age of forty. Also at the table are her ageing grandmother, her promiscuous sister, her flamboyantly gay brother and a memory too terrible to contemplate. Until, that is, a letter arrives from the person Anna scarred all those years ago. Can Anna reconcile her painful past with her uncertain future? Juliet Ashton weaves a story of love, friendship and community that will move you to laughter and to tears. Think Cold Feet meets David Nicholls, with a dash of the joy of Jill Mansell added for good measure. 'I love Juliet's writing and this book featured so many wonderful characters. I was left wanting to join the family at one of their Sunday lunches' Samantha, Netgalley reviewer 'A joy from start to finish. The relationships within the family ring so true. And the twists kept me guessing. A beautiful book' Laura Kemp 'Romantic and gentle, and in places really funny, but it has pace and a couple of twists which kept me reading. The author is good with characters, each with a clear 'voice'' Penny, Netgalley reviewer 'All the characters have their own strong storyline and I enjoyed finding out how their lives unfolded' Sarah, Netgalley reviewer 'A very enjoyable and entertaining book with an interesting plot, complex characters and some food for thought. Recommended' Anna, Netgalley reviewer 'Absolutely loved this joyful, entertaining, and fabulously funny book' Karen, Netgalley reviewer No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 2000-RatingAverage: (3.25)
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3
I loved the concept of the extended family get-togethers and their lives, romances and issues. It was a pleasant read but not overly gripping, with a reasonably forgettable romance. I find myself mildly irritated that modern books feel the need to include all the issues in one book, meaning they only ever get superficial coverage. For instance I’m not sure that this book needed the trans gender reassignment on top of trying to deal with adoption by gay parents, relationship issues and forced giving up of babies. Maybe we judge novels on how many diverse characters we can squeeze in rather than on how captivating the characters are and how engaging the story is. (